Tasmania's passion for soccer has shone through for Western United goalkeeper Jamie Young.
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Coming across to United after seven years at Brisbane Roar, Young graced UTAS Stadium for the first time in their away clash with Perth Glory in February.
And it's safe to say he was impressed by what he saw.
"It was a part of Australia that doesn't get much A-League so they had so much enthusiasm for the game and the standard of the game and the competition to come," Young said.
"I think that's what fans need from the league is to have that passion and have that enthusiasm and perhaps that's been thwarted in the past by the way the League has been administered.
"But I think the A-Leagues are doing their best to bring that passion and that enthusiasm back to the fans so they can feel an affinity with the league, where they walk away saying 'I've had a great experience' and I think that's what Tasmania brought.
"I was really pleasantly surprised to see how much they enjoyed the game and I want that for the rest of Australia."
The 36-year-old's second trip to the state will be a bit less stressful than the first when Western United face Perth again on Easter Saturday and Macarthur FC on Tuesday, April 18.
Their February 27 visit to UTAS fell just before Young's wife gave birth to their first child, Amelia.
Young remained focused on the game and recorded one of his eight clean sheets for the season, leading the competition in the statistic.
"It's just part of life isn't it, where it's something significant for my family but I'm still representing Western United and I'm still representing the club and the players and the coaches and there was a job to do and do that professionally," he said.
"That was important to me to make sure that I did my job to the best of my capability and then after that, I'll go and enjoy, I suppose one of the most beautiful things in life."
Western United sit second on the A-League table, behind defending champions Melbourne City, and face Wellington Phoenix on Saturday before their Tasmanian stint, which is in the second year of its contract.
Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
